The present invention relates to computer printers and similar devices and more particularly to a printer cartridge, refurbished or remade printer cartridge and a method of making or refurbishing printer cartridges or similar devices.
Printer cartridges, such as laser printer cartridges or similar devices may be made or refurbished by filling the cartridges with toner, ink or the like and replacing any damaged or worn parts. To refurbish and refill a cartridge, the cartridge may generally need to be disassembled and reassembled. Component parts, such as electrical contacts, terminals or the like, can be damaged or misaligned during the manufacturing or refurbishing process. Electrical contacts on different components of the cartridge may therefore not make proper contact with one another when the cartridge is assembled or reassembled and the cartridge may malfunction or not be able to provide some features, such as generating a message when toner level is low or the like. Some of the electrical contacts may not make proper contact with one another because of variations in tolerances between different components. For example, a compressible seal around a toner discharge opening in a toner hopper subassembly of a printer cartridge may cause variations in the dimension between the toner hopper subassembly and a developer roller subassembly when attached to one another. The compressible seal may also compress or move to permit relative movement between the toner hopper subassembly and the developer roller subassembly. The variations in dimensions or movement of the subassemblies may prevent respective contacts on the toner hopper subassembly and the developer roller subassembly from making proper contact or to break contact after assembly and the cartridge may malfunction or not provide certain features.
Additionally, some electrical contacts may be internal to the cartridge on some types of cartridges when assembled. This may prevent access to the contacts or terminals for testing to confirm whether the contacts or terminals are properly making contact after assembling the cartridge.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a method to make or refurbish a printer cartridge that compensates for variations in tolerances in the manufacturing or refurbishing process or movement of the subassemblies relative to one another. There is also a need to provide a printer cartridge or refurbished printer cartridge that compensates for variations in tolerance between different components or movement of the components relative to one another. There is an additional need to provide a method to make or refurbish a printer cartridge that permits access to any internal contacts or terminals for testing of the electrical contact or connection. There is a further need to provide a printer cartridge or refurbished printer cartridge that includes access to any internal contacts or terminals for testing.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method of making or refurbishing a printer cartridge may include attaching a compressible, electrically conductive extension to a first conductive terminal on a first cartridge subassembly. The first cartridge subassembly may be assembled in operative position with a second cartridge subassembly. The compressible, electrically conductive extension may electrically couple the first conductive terminal to a second conductive terminal on the second cartridge subassembly when the first and second cartridge subassemblies are assembled.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of making or refurbishing a printer cartridge may include attaching an electrically conductive coil spring to a first conductive terminal on a first cartridge subassembly. The first cartridge subassembly may then be assembled in operative position with a second cartridge subassembly. The electrically conductive coil spring may compensate for variations in thickness of a compressible toner seal, or compensate for movement of the first cartridge subassembly relative to the second cartridge subassembly, to electrically couple the first conductive terminal to a second conductive terminal on the second cartridge when the first and second cartridge subassemblies are assembled and compress the toner seal.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, a printer cartridge may include a first cartridge subassembly and a second cartridge subassembly attached to the first cartridge subassembly. The first cartridge subassembly may include a first conductive terminal and the second cartridge subassembly may include a second conductive terminal that is normally in electrical contact with the first conductive terminal when the first and second subassemblies are attached to one another. A compressible, electrically conductive extension may be attached to the first conductive terminal to compensate for variations in thickness of a compressible toner seal or to compensate for movement of the first cartridge subassembly relative to the second cartridge subassembly when the first and second subassemblies are attached to one another to form the printer cartridge.